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Party food

Alex and I are having a few friends over on Saturday, for one last grown-up hurrah before the baby arrives (in less than two months!). So, my question is this: Are there any foods do you love to eat at parties? I'm kind of obsessed with kettle chips, but I want to have a few more crowd-pleasing snacks. Maybe pigs in blankets? Hummus? Deviled eggs? Brownies? Is there anything you especially like to see when you walk into a party? I'd love to hear your thoughts...Thank you so much!

mmmm, i love warm parmesean cheese and artichoke dip - there are lots of fancy recipes for it but really, so long as you mix mayo, real grated cheese and a tin of artichoke hears together and bake it, it will be delicious! Enjoy your party!

I love making mini grilled cheeses with cocktail rye bread and colby cheese with caraway seeds in it. Butter them and have them on a cookie sheet before the party and then cook them up in an electric fry pan whever the action is!

Here is a tried-and-true canape recipe I make (and I'm no genius in the kitchen). I've never served it to anyone who didn't like it, even people who swear off blue cheese. http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/saras-secrets/blue-cheese-mousse-canapes-with-radish-recipe/index.html But I agree that deviled eggs and pigs-in-a-blanket are great. For the "pigs" you'll want Lil Smokies.

Nothing attracts me like a good cheese plate. Especially with something decadent like Cowgirl's Red Hawk, La Tur, or even a fresh Burrata. Add a few condiments, some freshly sliced baguette, and you're done. Have a fun party!

I think it's always easy/fun/healthy to do a cool wooden cheese board with a spread of dried fruit and nuts -strawberries/cranberries/figs/dates and raw almonds/walnuts. Also try making your own hummus..SO easy and cheap (if you dont use tahini, which i dont really miss when i make mine anyway :)

make piggies with lil' smokies and cut canned biscuits into quarters and wrap around them.

Also get a small round of brie cheese, put your favorite jam (homemade is best, but get the good chunky stuff if you don't have any), wrap in filo dough, brush with egg, and bake at 350 until the filo is baked. Then serve warm with nice crackers. HUGE crowd pleaser, although pregnant women aren't supposed to have soft cheeses. but something to remember!!

For my last dinner party, I bought a good quality whole grain baguette and sliced it up alongside marinated roasted tomatoes, brie, goat cheese, and tapenade. Everyone assembled their own little creations from the available ingredients. It was a big hit!

I also second the suggestion for spinach artichoke dip. You can whip it up ahead of time, and just throw it in the oven right before company arrives. It's always a crowd-pleaser. I like to serve it with Amy's brand Garlic-Parmesan pita chips.

artichoke dip is a favorite of mine - and it seems like lots of others too! i also love spanakopita! anything with phyllo dough is a winner! mini grilled cheese and tomato soup shooters would be fun too! or little turkey burger sliders!

Hummous and pitta bread is always good. It would be fun to go retro and have cheese and pineapple and little cocktail sausages on sticks and stick them all into a melon like a hedgehog! My mum used to do this in the swinging sixties. Oh, and everybody loves something sweet-how about those brownies you featured the other day?

Something really delicious and easy is sliced toasted baguette with gorgonzola crumbles and honey drizzled on top. That's my go-to item. But I looove devouring spinach artichoke dip, even though it has a million calories.

Have you tried the Cape Cod brand kettle chips? They are amazing! I saw an episode of Unwrapped (How It's Made for food), and they showed that the Cape Cod sea salt and vinegar chips use a different type of vinegar. That must be the reason they're amazing! It could also be the fact that there's something self-pleasing about eating a smaller brand.

I agree.. finger foods are always the best! If you have a crock pot, one of my favorites/easiest appetizers is frozen meatballs with grape jelly + spicy mustard. Sounds weird, but it is ALWAYS a hit and nobody can ever guess what the ingredients are! I usually add a 2:1 ratio of jelly:mustard with the frozen meatballs and walk away. It takes a few hours but it's quick and painless especially if you have to prepare other dishes/rest! But you can always add more jelly or mustard depending on how sweet or tangy you want them!

stuffed mushrooms have always been a big hit for us, but they might be a little heavy if it's warm.

however, of late, i've also been doing dried figs stuffed with sweetened cream cheese (just add powdered sugar) and a salted almond. it's kind of like a little fig sandwhich -- they are delish, and easy finger food.

This is the perfect season for asparagus and this recipe for marinated asparagus is FAB! Looks pretty too and must make ahead for them to marinate which equals low party day stress! We have lots of fun southern recipes. Cheri Leavy Bulldawg Illustrated (University of Georgia fan publication) http://www.bulldawgillustrated.com/recipes/19/Marinated-Asparagus

i love having spanakopita! whole foods or trader joes has excellent pre-prepared ones. also, another easy snack is bacon wrapped artichokes! you can you use the jar artichokes in a special marinade and wrap bacon around each artichoke heart and put in over till bacon is cooked!

Take lightly toasted (maybe brushed w/EVOO) baguette or roasted garlic bread slices, top with a thick slice of juicy tomato, crack some S&P over it, then sprinkle a nice chiffinade of basil, top with a good slice of fresh buffalo mozzarella & drizzle EVOO & balsamic vinegar. Make no more than 30 mins before hand & have them chilling in the fridge = DELISH!!!

Homemade pizza cut into strips is a good bet. Use Trader Joes pizza dough and make it look fancy with goat cheese or ricotta (http://meburks.edublogs.org/2010/02/08/sometimes-i-feel-like-a-ninja-turtle/)

For sweets, my neighbors recently had caramels with sea salt on top. So good!

I love seeing different and tasty items at peoples parties... the kind where you're like: "what is this and can I have the recipe?" Trader Joes has some really good goat cheese and onion tarts that are amazing. Most little tarts are great. I also love little croissants with turkey and apple. For sweet things, how about little strawberry shortcakes? MMM! perfect time of year for those. And they are easy, light, sweet, and relatively healthy.

Hi, I personally love panna cotta topped with fresh berries. A friend and I made it for a recent bridal shower and it was hit. The recipe can be found on Food Network's website. It was super easy, we just put them in the clear plastic beverage cups and they looked very pretty and were super delicious.

All of the above suggestions are fantastic. Makes me want to throw a party. I must say, I love having items people can easily pick up: olives, veggies, mini-quiches, but you can't go wrong with the always pleasing artichoke dip. But - if you want something totally unique...then, you should do maple-roasted lotus root, sunchokes and leeks. I just learned this recipe. It's yummy, impressive and easy to eat. Email me if you want the recipe!

A friend of mine's party standard was a version the grape-jelly/mustard meatballs Cindy mentioned above. People LOVE them.

I like to dress up my kettle chips with a super-simple horseradish-cream cheese dip. Beat together 8 oz cream cheese, 3 tbsps prepared horseradish and a splash of cream or mayonnaise. Season and voila, kettle chips with a little kick.

in a blender or food procesor add equal amounts 1/2 cup of (thawed, not cooked) peas and edamame. to that add 1/4 cup pine nuts and parmesan cheese. add evvo as needed to form a dip/paste. salt to taste if needed.

also great is the robusto cheese from whole foods! everyone loves it's rich nutty flavor.

I make puff pastry cheese stars. It's really easy and such a crowd pleaser. Grab some puff pastry and cookie cutters. (Mini hearts, stars, half-moon)cut the puff pastry and brush with olive oil, and then sprinkle with freshly saved parmesan, asiago and a pinch of pepper. It's about 15 minutes in the oven (on parchment paper) and they are tasty and cute to boot! xo

I love fruit and veggie trays as well. I am currently obsessed with making dips like hummus, tzatziki, spinach dip (probably not the best calorie wise, but so delicious) and a recipe I found for Lemon Tarragon Crab Dip.

I also like to rip up some pita bread, place it on a baking tray, drizzle olive oil and some herbs and warm until crisp to make crispy pita wedges with the dip.

This is all I need to make me happy at a party (and maybe some wine) :)

i really love serving water crackers with a slice of brie and topped with a raspberry or blueberry and a small drizzle of berry syrup... i first had them at an anthro event and they are so fresh and yummy!

for my friends going away party..we did lots of cheeses and fruits (my favorite combo is grapes and blue cheese mmm) and got pigs in a blanket and of course the best were the meatballs from trader joe's. they are unbelievable. sounds kind of strange to serve at a party, but they were a total hit.

Back in the day when my place was big enough to host parties, I almost always had pigs in a blanket, rotel dip and chips, some kind of cookie or sweet, and maybe a veggie plate with carrots and such and ranch dressing

not sure what time the party is, but the last party I went to I was so hungry and they had meatballs in a crockpot and rolls. Its a great"snack" for the hungry folks or guys who need something meaty. stuffed mushrooms is always great too. Have fun

Ok, food-nerd alert. 1/ I love making gougeres (for a little nod to your french side, Joanna), they're easier than you'd think, and oh the raves they get. (There's a nice recipe for them "Classic gougeres" on Epicurious by Molly Wizenberg, I like to switch it up by adding chopped green olives, or switching the gruyere for cheddar and onions sauteed with curry...) 2/ My other go to, dried mission figs stuffed with a cube of feta, wrapped in a sage leaf and copa (also on epicurious under "dried fig souvlaki). To. Die. For. Then, I go for something like stove-popped popcorn with honey and black pepper (as simple as it sounds) to give people a big bowl of something to munch. Tada, grown up party food!

I'm with everyone on all these amazing salty treats....i love spinach or artichoke dip (esp because you can offer bread, chips, pita crisps OR lil carrots so people can feel kind of healthy) and anything bite size is awesome. (Puff pastry can be a little crumbly/messy --but it sure is tasty).

I have a huge sweet tooth and def love that as an option! Mini cupcakes are always crazy yummy (red velvet, carrot cake, lemon cream cheese frosting, chocolate...). Also, M&M chocolate chip cookies (or sugar cookies). This sounds so un-glammy fancy but I swear they look so cute and colorful. People always gobble them up!

Definitely baked brie! It's easy, and disappears within minutes of setting it out. Such a crowd pleaser!

It's basically a wheel of brie with brown sugar and dried cherries (or cranberries, whatever you prefer) in the center. Then wrap in puff pastry, bake, and serve with crackers and apples. I use the recipe below, but only with one sheet of puff pastry -- two seems like too much. Hope the party goes well!

Pigs in a blanket for sure, all time favorite. Also mini quiche (Trader Joe's does lovely assorted packages of these) and mini crabcakes. Really the whole appetizer section of Trader Joe's, and any good food made tiny sized always makes people happy!Oh! How about some of those tiny grilled cheese sandwiches with shots of tomato soup you posted about a while back?

recently i made salads in little (pre-baked) filo cups. my favorite combination is mixed spring leaves, avacado, apples and dried cranberries with a lemon vinegarette dressing and pinch of goat cheese on top! the best part is that you can just pop them in your mouth! so elegant, simple and yummy!

A recipe my family has always used is to take a package of bacon, cut it into thirds, then wrap one of the third pieces around a lil smokie and secure with a toothpick. Then you put them in a baking dish, cover with brown sugar, and let them sit in the fridge overnight. Right before it's time for the party, you bake them at 325 for about 40 minutes. It's a nice alternative to pigs in a blanket, and really delicious!

Buy waffle or honeycomb shaped pretzels (snyder makes them). Toss a bunch of rolos on a baking sheet and put them in the oven, let them melt slightly, then put a pretzel on top of each one. So quick to make a ton.

How about crackers, with cream cheese and jalapeno pineapple jelly. It's a sweet/spicy flavor that is truly delicious and a little different. I also think you NEED to make those brownies you posted about this week. yum!

I love artichoke dip with lots of crusty bread. I throw parties all the time (I'm a food blogger so it's great to have an excuse to make a bunch of dishes!). Some of my favorite things to serve (and which people love) are retro swedish meatballs in a creamy sauce with a bit of jam on the side, a big spanish omelette cut into cubes served cold with toothpicks, a wheel of brie spread with a thin layer of apricot or peach jam and then drizzled all over with honey and sliced almonds; I bake it for 20 minutes until it's hot and runny inside and serve with crackers and slices of toasted bread, fun sweet treats like rice krispie treats made with brown butter or mini waffles topped with maple syrup sweetened creme fraiche and crumbled bacon, stuffed mushroom are always a HUGE hit, also broiled bacon-wrapped dates served with a salty olive dip (aka meat candy!). And little bowls of penny candy are always fun. I like to give my guests goody bags when they leave. At my christmas party i filled the bags with packages of vintage gum, candy cigarettes, mints, matchbooks, and some advil and Emergen-C to help with next morning's hangover!

I'm hosting a clothing swap brunch party on the 17th and am currently assembling a fun menu and favor ideas. Can you tell I'm obsessed?? ;)

Btw, i've found out that punch is a BIG hit. I make a tasty sparkling gin punch with champagne, gin, fresh orange and lemon juices, a bit of grenadine and club soda. Everyone gets so excited when they see it!

rice krispie treats dipped in chocolate with sprinkles or m&m's! . . . strawberries, bananas, kiwis, pineapple to dip in a chocolate fondu! . . . do they have mango salsa on the mainland?! it's everywhere in hawaii and the most delicious mouthwatering salsa around! good luck!

Pickle wraps are so yummy and easy. Take a slice of ham and blot with paper towel, then spread a layer of cream cheese and roll it around a dill pickle spear. Then slice the pickle into about 1/4in. rolls. Really good and they go fast.

This girl is always pleased if there is a huge bowl of olives on the table. Doesn't matter to me what else is there...show me the olives. Whole Foods has fantastic spiced Greek olives, as well as lemon garlic ones.

Other fun options: whole wheat crackers (Trader Joe's has a phenomenally flavorful one) with brie cheese and lingonberry jam, or top them with manchego cheese and quince paste.

You could also stuff plum tomatoes with a tuna salad or even with tabouli, or a cous cous salad.

When I walk in a party I always.. always expect to see brownies! And there is this great chicken & cream cheese dip that my family make that I always expect to see. You simply open a can of chicken and mix it up with cream cheese (it depends on your taste the amount you want to add), then to give a little flavor, season it with whatever you'll like and mix it all together. Put it on a nice looking bowl and the final touch, it gives a little more flavor and it makes it look prettier... add chives, tiny pieces... You can eat it with chips or crackers. It's goooood and easy to make.

I recently made an asparagus Gruyere tart (thanks to a post on cupcakesandcashmere) for my in laws and it was FABULOUS! Check out the recipe here: http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/perfect-asparagus-gruyere-tart

You can make some fabulous light food snacks with philodough and it also looks like it took a lot of work!This one is with asparagus (a prime vegetable filled with the right vitamins for the pregnant you). You just cut slices of philodough, add thin asparagus and dress it with parmesan cheese (salt and pepper) put it in the oven 350 degrees and in a few minutes it is done. Nam! Good luck!

Bring sugar, cocoa, milk and margarine to a rapid boil in a saucepan on the stove top. Let it boil for 2 minutes (make sure you time it so they turn out right!) then remove from heat, add vanilla, peanut butter, and oats. Mix together and drop onto wax paper. Let cool and enjoy.

my two cents: if you like olives, olives wrapped in crescent rolls always go fast at our parties... just slice the triangle dough into fourths and wrap the each piece of dough around each olive, bake as the pillsbury dough boy tells you to (15 min i think).

also, we make little roastbeef open-faced sandwiches and people love them. i normally make a good grainy bread (but you can just buy a good one), smear on a little mayo, spicy mustard and horseradish, top with good roastbeef and horseradish cheddar cheese, sprinkle with fresh cracked pepper and sea salt.

now i want a sandwich...

after all these awesome suggestions, please let us know what you end up making!

I just had a party for my supper club Eat Good For Good (www.eatgoodforgood.com) and served prosciutto-wrapped grissinis. You can buy these italian breadsticks and wrap prosciutto around them - they delish and pretty and look like a prosciutto lollipop. Your guests will be obsessed!

I absolutely love goat's cheese in dates. It's super easy to make (just slice the dates open and shove in a slice or gob of cheese), and really delicious. OR.. baked brie with fig spread (also super easy -- just slice open the brie, add the spread, and bake until melty)... pretty much anything with cheese!

Pigs in a blanket were a huge success at our New Year's Eve party! The guys jumped on them, and they were gone in no time! I'm also a big fan of either buffalo chicken dip or seven-layer Mexican dip. Yummmm! Sounds like a fun evening you're planning.

I love tortilla wraps, sometimes called pinwheels.take a tortilla and smear cream cheese on them, plain or herb seasoned and then add whatever you want, I love chopped green olives in mine, you can add more substance by putting thin sliced lunch meats.

How about a watermelon and mint salad, or sliced cantaloupe? I love serving fresh fruit to balance out the saltiness of savory treats like mini hot dogs. Plus there's nothing more refreshing on a warm evening than cold fruit. Have a great party!

If you want to impress the easiest ever is baked brie with toasted almonds. Turn the oven to 350, pop in the brie let it get nice and melty, give sliced almonds a quick toasting in a pan, take out the brie, throw the almonds on top and slice up some baguettes. Your guest will love it, so easy and yummy.

My friends beg me to make queso dip whenever they come over. All it is - one can of Rotel and half of the velveeta cheese "brick" melted together...delicious! Who doesn't love fake cheese? :) Serve with tortilla chips (the scoops ones are especially handy for getting all the chunky cheesy goodness) I'm sure the party will be a hit! Good luck!

Cheesecake filled strawberries. Way easy to make. Philly makes a tub of filling in the fridge section of super markets. Just scoop out a straberry & pipe in the ready-made filling. Dust with chocolate.

I just had people over for easter and the absolute favs were homemade guacamole and cherry tomato & mozarella sticks. Both are super easy to make and people love them!Just get cherry tomatoes,tiny mozarella balls and fresh basil, stick one of each on a toothpick. Wait till the guests arrive to add some olive oil, balsamico, salt and pepper (they look less appealing with the dressing on top) - and you're done :) I have a pic on my latest blog postHappy saturday-party,

My grandmother Maelene's traditional "cheesettes" are always a crowd pleaser when my husband and I have parties. They also have been at every shower and wedding in my family since she started making them in the 1960s. Here's the recipe if you want to try it.

Mix ingredients by hand - it just works better this way and we loved to do it as kids.

Roll into small balls and flatten with two fingers, but don't make them too thin.Place on cookie sheet and bake for 18 minutes or so until slightly crispy. (You can test them and see if they're done - which is the best part. They are amazing when they are warm.Have a fun party!

One of my favorites is mushrooms stuffed with a mixture of cream cheese+chopped chives with bacon wrapped around the mushroom. Bake for ~20-30 min at about 400F or until the bacon is crisping/mushrooms are browning. I've always eyeballed this so I can't guarantee the time/temp is OK but it is so delicious that I think you should give it a try! I've tried it out with fried up bacon bits in the cream cheese mixture, which works well if you just want a hint of bacon and not have a mouthful of grease. Guacamole is another favorite as well.

funny how food always gets so much attention! a friend of mine makes goat cheese and roasted tomato crostini. Toast the bread, smear on goat cheese, top with a roasted tomato (slice them and cook them low and slow in the oven with salt and pepper) and julienned basil. Yummy! I always look forward to them when I go to her house!

little toasts (i got mine from trader joe's but any baby toasts would work) with chunks of cheddar goat cheese (i'm sure any cheese store would have this) and then topped with a slow roasted cherry tomato.to do the tomatoes, halve the cherry toms and place in a baking dish (split side up) and drizzle with olive oil and sea salt. roast for about an hour at 250.

honestly, these ingredients together will make magic in your mouth.magic.

I take a cue from one of my favorite restaurants and serve bacon wrapped dates stuffed with gorgonzola.

They look super fancy and gourmet, but they're actually SUPER easy. You just slice open the dates, drop in a crumble or two of gorgonzola cheese, and wrap a half a piece of bacon around them to seal it back up. Pop them in the oven for 15 minute and serve!

They're so decadent and gooey and delish, and the whole plate is usually gone in about 30 seconds. Huge crowd pleaser. YUM

jalapeno cream cheese wheels--- big family hit! take a flour tortilla spread a mix of cream cheese and jalapenos then roll freeze for 30 minutes cut into pinwheels and serve with salsa... soo amazingly good and so simple!

Hi Joanna! I just started reading your blog and I absolutely love all of your postings, photos, etc. It's become my favorite thing to read in the mornings with my coffee :)

For parties, I love to make mini croque monsieurs! Take a baguette, slice it into rounds, slather some pesto on one round (or just use cheese), make a mini sandwich and then shred some cheese on top, pop into the oven, et voila! easy and tasty

I had the best edamame the other day with chili flakes, shallots, garlic and lime juice. Yum! I usually take a wedge of camembert, sprinkle with toasted walnuts and brown sugar and then drizzle with mayple syrup and bake until melty. Serve with baguette.

take wonton wrappers, cut them on the diagonal, put them on a cookie sheet, brush them with an olive oil/water mixture and bake them for a few minutes at 375. they don't take long at all, so you have to watch them. once they're brown and crispy, sprinkle them with salt and let them cool!

Also ...just tried this tart for Easter and it would be great for your party as a sweet treat with the regular brownies :http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/blueberry-tart-00000000017216/index.html

Love seeing meatballs in a crockpot with bbq sauce...and really get silly crazy to see veggie pizza you know the kind on crescent rolls with cream cheese herbs and fresh veggies all chopped on top!!! Yummo!!

I always like to serve a big green salad with yummy fixins like dried cherries, blue cheese, and toasted pecans. Salad refreshes the palate and makes you feel less guilty for eating your weight in guacamole (another favorite to serve/eat at parties).